Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 24 December 1999

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether money has been diverted from the Agri-Environment budget heads in the last 12 months and, if so, how much has been transferred and to which budgets.

Ross Finnie: Agri-environment expenditure in 1998-99 was £12.5 million compared to provision of £18.2 million. In accordance with general arrangements, in-year estimating savings were re-allocated to meet pressures for additional spending on other Structural and Agri-Environmental measures.

Agriculture

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to divert money from the agri-environment budget heads in the next 12 months and, if so, how much is to be transferred and to which budgets.

Ross Finnie: There are no plans to divert money from the agri-environment budget in the next 12 months.

Children

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the success or otherwise of the Hamilton Child Safety Initiative and what plans it has to extend it.

Angus MacKay: The Hamilton Child Safety Initiative was launched in October 1997 by Strathclyde Police in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council in three areas of Hamilton. Following a positive response from the local community supported by research, Strathclyde Police extended the Initiative in 1998 to cover the rest of Hamilton. The Scottish Executive endorses the previous administration’s strong support for this and other initiatives which are intended to increase the protection of our children and communities. As with the Hamilton Initiative, decisions to undertake initiatives of this kind in other areas of Scotland would be made by Chief Constables in consultation with local authorities and others with an interest.

Drugs

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make funds available towards a detox and rehabilitation centre for north-east Scotland from the monies announced by the Minister for Finance in his statement on expenditure plans on 6 October 1999.

Susan Deacon: It is for the Health Boards and Local Authorities in North East Scotland to decide on the provision of a detox and rehabilitation centre in light of their own spending priorities according to local needs and in line with local Drug Action Team strategies and the national drug strategy Tackling Drugs in Scotland: Action in Partnership .

Europe

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are currently in place in Scotland to distribute European LEADER funding.

Mr Jack McConnell: LEADER is currently delivered in Scotland through Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise who liaise directly with the European Commission, under so-called global grant arrangements.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, when it publishes its public consultation document on the budget, it will give the information in both cash and real terms.

Mr Jack McConnell: I gave a firm commitment in my opening remarks to the Finance Committee on 14 December to publish figures in both cash and real terms.

Food Labelling

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to implement EC Council Regulation No. 820/97 which establishes a system of identification and registration of bovine animals and for the labelling of beef and beef products.

Ross Finnie: Registration details are required for all bovine animals born in Scotland since July 1996. These details are held by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) at Workington, together with information on registrations and movements of animals born since 28 September 1998. The computerised database at BCMS does not as yet contain registration details for older animals. The beef labelling elements of the Regulation are currently operating in Scotland.

Food Labelling

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to address the position in food labelling rules which apply to the manufacturing and catering sectors associated with the meat industry whereby the country of origin does not require to be displayed on the meat product pack.

Ross Finnie: Meat products are defined in EC law and the current labelling requirements are largely harmonised at EC level. These requirements are implemented in Scotland by the Food Labelling Regulations 1996. While it is not compulsory to provide the particulars of country of origin or provenance of the food, this information is required if failure to give it might mislead the purchaser to a material degree as to the true origin or provenance of the food. Catering establishments are, however, exempt from this requirement.

  The Scottish Executive issued a consultation paper on 27 October seeking views from interested parties on a proposal to amend the Guidance Notes on the Food Labelling Regulations. The consultation aims to clarify and strengthen the guidance on labelling to allow the true origin of foodstuffs to be traceable. No change to the Regulations themselves is proposed. Responses to the consultation exercise, which ended on 14 December, are now being considered.

Information

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will in future ensure that all MSPs receive details of announcements on spending prior to them being released to the press.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Executive has routinely ensured that MSPs have access to the details of proposed changes to its spending plans before these are released to the press. This practice will continue.

Oil

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government with a view to negotiating for a share of oil revenues from the North Sea to be earmarked for public spending in Scotland.

Mr Jack McConnell: Oil revenues, like other taxes and duties, are pooled at a UK level and the aggregate pooled revenues are then distributed in accordance with relative need. As is clear from the latest edition of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland , covering the years to 1997-98, (published on 13 December), Scotland benefits significantly from this pooling arrangement and the Executive has no plans to propose changes to it.

Rural Affairs

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Countryside Premium Scheme applications have been (a) approved in the last 12 months, (b) rejected in the last 12 months, and (c) are still awaiting processing.

Ross Finnie: 726 applications were received in the 1999 application round. Of these, 326 are being offered entry into the Scheme. The balance (400 applications) have not been accepted for funding. There are no applications awaiting processing.

Rural Affairs

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget for the Countryside Premium Scheme is for the years 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information is not available in the form requested.

Special Advisers

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what are the terms of the financial package made following the departure of Mr John Rafferty and in particular what arrangements have been made for compensation to Mr John Rafferty within the package.

Donald Dewar: Mr Rafferty will receive what he is due under the terms of his contract of employment. A copy of the model contract for Special Advisers is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICE).

Special Advisers

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been a breach of the Civil Service Code by Mr John Rafferty.

Donald Dewar: The circumstances of Mr Rafferty’s departure did not rest on a breach of the Civil Service Code.

Special Advisers

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in drawing up a shortlist of successors to Mr John Rafferty.

Donald Dewar: This is a matter for further consideration.

Special Advisers

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the First Minister spoke to the Prime Minister about the departure of Mr John Rafferty.

Donald Dewar: It is not my practice to reveal whether I have, or have not, had any conversations with the Prime Minister.

Special Advisers

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister agreed a statement with Mr John Rafferty, and if so, what was the content of that statement.

Donald Dewar: No.

Special Advisers

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Mr John Rafferty has been or will be given a severance or any other type of payment as a result of the termination of his employment with the Scottish Executive.

Donald Dewar: Mr Rafferty will receive what he is due under the terms of his contract of employment. A copy of the model contract for Special Advisers is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICE).

Tourism

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the accommodation booking module of the Ossian Project was originally planned to be introduced in February 1999; when it will be introduced; whether there will be a consequential delay in the implementation of the proposed Tourist Information Centres (TICs) accommodation booking system, and when all TICs will become operational to employ the Ossian accommodation booking system.

Henry McLeish: It has been possible to book accommodation using the Ossian database since August 1999. Pre-payment using e-commerce will be piloted during the first quarter of 2000. The full system will then be available to all ATB members who wish to use it. TICs will also be able to provide a booking and payment service to their customers. Each ATB is responsible for their own TIC connection schedules, therefore timescales for delivery in each area will vary.

Transport

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue a formal response to The Road Ahead consultation process about the review of future management and maintenance arrangements for Scottish trunk roads.

Sarah Boyack: As part of the process of considering how the Scottish trunk road network should be managed and maintained when the current contracts come to an end in April 2001, a consultation document The Road Ahead was issued on 14 April 1999. This sought the views of local authorities, and private sector and other interested bodies, on how effective the current arrangements had been, and on future options. 175 copies of the document were issued and 71 responses received by the closing date of 30 June 1999.

  Having considered carefully the views expressed, I have decided that four new generation Operating Company contracts will be put in place to cover the full Scottish motorway and trunk road network. The contract period will be five years 2001-06, with the option of a two year extension.

  The tendering process for these contracts will be commenced immediately.